Influenza A(H1N1)’s Attack on North America

 

"Don’t panic" has been the phrase most commonly used in the airwaves in relation to the new Influenza A(H1N1) virus. This phrase has been used along with reports of the virus emerging in the United States, the growing number of cases around the world, and the World Health Organization raising its alert on the outbreak to Level 5,  stating that a pandemic is "imminent." Around the world, people learned of this virus just as they learned that all schools and most businesses in Mexico were forced to shut down due to the outbreak. There is a sense of panic arriving from these reports, and from these measures. Though the Influenza A(H1N1) has been identified as mild, the global reaction to the outbreak has caused great damage to North America. Mexico and the United States are suffering the effects of this virus, not just on the health of the nations’ citizens, but also at an economical and sociological level in both countries.

The Influenza A(H1N1) virus emerged as a global concern, pinning North America as the epicenter of the outbreak. It is unclear exactly where the virus originated. One version states that the patient zero came from California; another version states that ground zero could be the town of La Gloria, in Veracruz, Mexico. Though the origin of the virus is yet undefined, it is clear that the two countries most affected by the virus have been Mexico and the United States. Mexico had the highest number of cases of the virus when it was first identified. The country now has a total of 2,888 confirmed cases, and 58 deaths. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States now has 3,009 confirmed cases in 45 states, with only three deaths.

 

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of May 12, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States*	Laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
TOTAL (45)	3009 cases	3 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection, see World Health Organization

Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

 

 

The virus is almost equally present on either side of the U.S./Mexico border. According to the UTEP Prospector, El Paso Health officials have confirmed seven cases of the virus in the county, while the UTEP Health center suspects two cases on campus. There are also two confirmed cases in Ciudad Juarez. As both the United States and Mexico are subject to the health effects of the epidemic. In this global health crisis, the two countries are also subject to staggering economic and sociological effects as collateral damage of the virus. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his Secretary of Health José Ángel Córdova Villalobos responded to this emergency by seizing all academic activity, and limiting economic activity in the nation for several days to prevent a serious outbreak from occurring. On April 27th, all schools were shut down, as were most restaurants, bars, stadiums, theaters, cinemas, and other places where large numbers of people could gather around the country. Individuals were advised to remain home, and to otherwise avoid public places where the virus could spread. Stadiums and churches were closed; and festivities, including the Cinco de Mayo parade, were canceled.

The measures taken by the Mexican government to prevent an outbreak might seem extreme, but they came as a large number of cases of a new virus had been reported in local hospitals. Mexican President Felipe Calderon said in a press conference that the measures taken against the virus were ad hoc to the potential threat the virus posed to the nation’s citizens. As the virus and its nature were unknown, the measures were preventive, in preparation for what seemed to be a highly contagious strand of influenza. The country was on hold, waiting for the virus to be thoroughly analyzed. The U.S. Center for Disease Control finally deemed the virus "mild," and only slightly more contagious than the seasonal influenza. This identification occurred just as the surge of cases saw a decrease in Mexico. President Calderon then announced economic activity would resume on May 6th, while secondary education would resume on May 7th, and primary education on May 11th, in all but five states.

The measures taken by the Mexican government in minimizing the spread of the virus were praised by the World Health Organization, stating that Mexican authorities followed, and went beyond the standards of prevention of a novel virus. According to a study published by the Pan American Health Organization, had these measures not been in place, the number of hospitalizations in Mexico due to the virus could have been up to 30,000 and the number of deaths up to 8,605. These are "highly conservative" figures, using the CDC model of the virus of 1.4% to 1.6% contagion rate.

Although the Mexican government helped spare a large number of its citizens from contagion, the preventive measures came at a cost. Due to the shutting down of activities from May 1st to May 6th in the country’s commerce, service, and tourism industries, Mexico’s economy suffered a loss of $12,645 million Mexican pesos. According to El Economista, Mexico’s leading economic publication, this amounted to 0.7% of the nation’s total GDP. Mexico is also reportedly in a recession, and the decrease in the GDP in 2009 had been estimated at 3.8% to 4.5%, a measure which did not take into account the millions lost due to the partial shutdown. The economic effect of saving lives was high, but a life has no estimated cost, said President Calderon in an interview on May 7th.

The North American outbreak also brought extreme sociological problems to Mexico. These extreme preventive measures taken by the Mexican government, though beneficial to citizens, were also the catalyst for a collective sense of panic around the world. Mexico has been stigmatized as the epicenter of the outbreak, with the virus being dubbed the "Mexican flu." Also, though the virus has been identified as mild, the fact that the measures taken by Mexico were so extreme caused panic around the world. The global perception seems to be that the strength of Influenza A(H1N1) could paralyze a whole nation’s activities, as they did in the country. Mexican citizens have also felt stigmatized due to other countries’ actions against Mexico. Several governments have taken extreme preventive measures against the country, expecting to fully avoid the virus. These measures include the canceling of all flights to and from Mexico, as well as quarantining travelers from Mexico in countries like China and Singapore.

Even with these measures taking place against Mexico by countries around the world, the border between the United States and Mexico has remained open. President Obama stated in a press conference that closing the border with Mexico would be a similar measure to "closing the barn door after the horses are out," as cases surfaced in the United States at the same time they did in Mexico. Keeping the borders open is beneficial to both the U.S. and Mexican economies, in regard to the North American Free Trade Agreement. This practice also respects the recommendations by the World Health Organization that international travel should not be restricted as a result of the virus, as it could cause a damage to the global economy while not preventing the virus from spreading. President Calderon has voiced his concern to restricting governments and to the U.N. that Mexico was being discriminated against, claiming that the measures affected its citizens directly, as well as the nation’s economy. The WHO has since requested that governments limiting travel with Mexico provide scientific research which led them to take such actions.

Mexico’s experience with the Influenza A(H1N1) may serve as a guide to other countries on how to deal with the virus. The Mexican government sacrificed the nation’s economy in order to spare the world from the dangers of an imminent pandemic while the virus was being analyzed. Now that more information is available, activities in the country have resumed. The campaign for better higyene has also stabilized the number of cases in the country.

Mexican Secretary of Health José Ángel Córdova Villalobos reported that the large number of deaths in the country resulted from cases where infection occurred before the virus was identified as a new strain of influenza, and before the campaign for better hygiene began. The staggering difference in the number of deaths between the United States and Mexico may be due to better higyene being practiced in the United States now than in Mexico before the virus was identified. The World Health Organization reports that nations with worse higyene may suffer higher effects from the virus than those with better higyene. The WHO also mentions that the virus may mutate and will likely travel around the world three times as a pandemic. The world must be prepared to take measures against this virus.

The pandemic of this North American flu is imminent. Countries may be saved from the severe economical and sociological effects on the virus as a result of the actions taken by Mexico and the United States in containing the virus and informing the world of its nature. Governments may retain a healthy economy by maintaining most of its activities despite the virus being in their country, including maintaining their borders open and avoiding limiting travel to other affected countries. Similarly, in this global emergency, the most important measure taken by individuals is to wash their hands regularly. This will reduce the transfer of many viruses, not just this novel influenza. The world will, at least thrice, be exposed to the Influenza A(H1N1) virus. With all the information acquired from Mexico and the United States, as well as their respective health organizations, the world may be ready to face this pandemic. As President Obama said, the global outbreak is "a cause for deep concern, but not panic."

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

• Stay informed. The CDC website is updated regularly as information becomes available.
• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
  • Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
• Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
• Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

For more information on the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/